The 81st Annual Meeting of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists (2012)

The annual AAPA meeting gives many opportunities for the membership to engage with the latest research and information about human biology and evolution. At many of our meetings, members have not only presented about their research but have brought fossil casts, scans and other materials to show first-hand. In the past, these have included some of the most exciting new discoveries, with more than a few of the most controversial debates started over casts at the meetings. This year's plenary session, "Bringing Fossil Casts into the Open", furthers this long tradition, bringing together casts and electronic materials, many of them being shown at national meetings for the first time. This session represents the cooperation and assistance of several institutes, museums and AAPA members to present materials that most members may never have had the opportunity to see in person. The session is an "open lab" format, for members to explore, investigate, and bring information back from the meetings to enhance both research and teaching. We hope that bringing these materials together will create opportunities for new insights and comparisons, or maybe kick-start the next great debate about human evolution.